A wireless communication device includes an antenna to receive a signal, a low noise amplifier, and circuitry that determines the power level of the signal. The circuitry also determines whether the signal includes a packet, and causes the low noise amplifier to amplify the signal when the signal includes a packet and the power level of the signal is below a threshold. The circuitry also causes the low noise amplifier to be bypassed when the signal does not include a packet, or the power level of the signal is above the predetermined threshold and the signal includes a packet.
Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
1. A wireless communication device, comprising: a low noise amplifier; circuitry configured to determine a power level of a received signal; determine whether the signal includes a packet; and a logic AND gate configured to cause the low noise amplifier to amplify the signal when the signal includes a packet and the power level of the signal is below a predetermined threshold; and cause the low noise amplifier to be bypassed when the signal does not include a packet, or the power level of the signal is above the predetermined threshold and the signal includes a packet.
2. The wireless communication device of claim 1 , wherein the circuitry is configured to cause the low noise amplifier to be turned off and bypassed during a carrier search.
3. The wireless communication device of claim 1 , wherein the circuitry configured to determine whether the signal includes a packet includes a matched filter.
4. The wireless communication device of claim 1 , wherein the circuitry configured to determine whether the signal includes a packet includes an energy detector with power integrated over a short training field.
5. The wireless communication device of claim 1 , wherein the circuitry configured to determine whether the signal includes a packet includes a low-end sensitivity improvement autocorrelator.
6. The wireless communication device of claim 1 , wherein the circuitry is configured to cause the low noise amplifier to be turned off and bypassed when the signal does not include a packet, or the power level of the signal is above the predetermined threshold and the signal includes a packet.
7. A wireless communication device comprising: a low noise amplifier; and circuitry configured to determine a power level of a received signal; determine whether the received signal includes a packet; cause the low noise amplifier in the wireless communication device to amplify the received signal when the received signal includes a packet and the power level of the received signal is below a predetermined threshold; cause the low noise amplifier in the wireless communication device to be bypassed when the received signal does not include a packet, or the power level of the received signal is above the predetermined threshold and the received signal includes a packet; and cause the low noise amplifier to be turned off and bypassed during a carrier search by the wireless communication device.
8. The wireless communication device of claim 7 , wherein the circuitry configured to determine whether the received signal includes a packet uses a matched filter.
9. The wireless communication device of claim 7 , wherein the circuitry configured to determine whether the received signal includes a packet uses an energy detector with power integrated over a short training field.
10. The wireless communication device of claim 7 , wherein the circuitry configured to determine whether the received signal includes a packet uses a low-end sensitivity improvement autocorrelator.
11. The wireless communication device of claim 7 , wherein the circuitry is further configured to: cause the low noise amplifier to be turned off and bypassed when the signal does not include a packet, or the power level of the signal is above the predetermined threshold and the signal includes a packet.
12. A wireless communication device, comprising: an antenna for receiving a signal; a low noise amplifier; a bypass route; a first switch configured to selectively couple the antenna to either a first input of the low noise amplifier or the bypass route; a mixer; a second switch configured to selectively couple an input of the mixer to either an output of the low noise amplifier or the bypass route; a filter having an input coupled to an output of the mixer; an analog-to-digital converter having an input coupled to an output of the filter; signal power detector circuitry having an input coupled to an output of the analog-to-digital converter, wherein the signal power detector circuitry is configured to determine the power level of the received signal; packet detector circuitry having an input coupled to the output of the analog-to-digital converter, wherein the packet detector circuitry is configured to determine whether the received signal includes a packet; and a logic gate having a first input coupled to an output of the signal power detector circuitry, a second input coupled to the packet detector circuitry and an output coupled to an input of the first switch, an input of the second switch and a second input of the low noise amplifier, the logic gate configured to: cause the first switch to couple the antenna to the first input of the low noise amplifier, cause the second switch to couple the input of the mixer to the output of the low noise amplifier and cause the low noise amplifier to amplify the received signal when the received signal includes a packet and the power level of the received signal is below a predetermined threshold, and causes the first switch to couple the antenna to the bypass route and the second switch to couple the input of the mixer to the bypass route when the received signal does not include a packet, or when the power level of the received signal is above the predetermined threshold and the received signal includes a packet.
13. The wireless communication device of claim 12 , wherein the logic gate is further configured to cause the first switch to couple the antenna to the bypass route and the second switch to couple the input of the mixer to the bypass route and cause the low noise amplifier to be turned off during a carrier search.
14. The wireless communication device of claim 12 , wherein the packet detector circuitry includes a matched filter.
15. The wireless communication device of claim 12 , wherein the packet detector circuitry includes an energy detector with power integrated over a short training field.
16. The wireless communication device of claim 12 , wherein the packet detector circuitry includes a low-end sensitivity improvement autocorrelator.
17. The wireless communication device of claim 12 , wherein the logic gate is further configured to cause the first switch to couple the antenna to the bypass route and the second switch to couple the input of the mixer to the bypass route and cause the low noise amplifier to be turned off when the wireless communication device is within range of an access point having an associated stored power level above a first predetermined threshold.
Cooperative Patent Classification codes for this invention. Click any code to explore related patents in that topic.
October 31, 2018
May 12, 2020
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